After an 0-2 start to the season, the Golden Eagles evened
things back to .500 with victories at East Tennessee and UNC
Asheville on their first road swing of the year last weekend.

Moving above .500 for the first time in second-year head coach
Daniel Brizard’s tenure at Tech this weekend won’t be
an easy task, however — the Golden Eagles will face some of
the toughest competition they’ll see this season at the
Jacksonville State-hosted event.

TTU faces two Western Athletic Conference squads, squaring off
against Louisiana Tech on Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on New
Mexico State at noon on Sunday.

Brizard said he feels his team’s confidence is high coming
off consecutive wins in which they scored six goals.

“I think they’re starting to feel some
confidence,” he said. “I think the girls are starting
to buy into our style and see the productiveness of it. We got over
a huge speed bump by winning our road matches this weekend.
Friday’s game, we had to dig it out and hold on for the win
and really show some grit and determination. On Sunday, I thought
we could have put a few more in the back of the net, but I was
happy with the result.”

As for this weekend, Brizard said he wants to see his team stand
toe-to-toe against the strong competition they will face.

“Obviously we’re hoping to go 2-0,” he said.
“But if we pull one of them out and battle really hard for
the other, I think that would be a really successful weekend for
the girls.”

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES

- Junior forward Jacquie Watkins scored two of
Tech’s four goals against UNC Asheville on Sunday, becoming
the first Golden Eagle to score multiple goals in a game since Jen
Hoffman netted three in a 3-2 overtime win over Eastern Illinois in
the first round of the 2009 OVC Tournament.

- Sophomore goalkeeper Becca Toler earned her first ever OVC
Goalkeeper of the Week honors for her performances in last
weekend’s wins. Toler spread 10 saves over two victories and
allowed just one live-action goal in 180 minutes of action.

- Senior center back Lindsey Reed also played an integral role
in limiting the offense of Tech’s opponents in last
weekend’s wins, stepping up her play to account for the
absence of defensive starter Leigh Heffner, who missed the UNC
Asheville game to tend to an academic-related matter.

“She played excellent,” Brizard said of Reed.
“She picked up her game when we were missing a veteran on the
back line. She was begin assertive, being our captain, and really
played above herself. She found an extra gear in some of the
footraces and didn’t make any mistakes that cost
us.”

SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH

The Golden Eagles will be looking to avenge a 3-2 double
overtime loss to Louisiana Tech in Cookeville last season. This
year, LA Tech is off to a 3-1-1 start coming into the Adidas
Gamecock Soccer Classic.

Louisiana Tech is a stingy defensive club that has posted
shutouts in four of its five games this season, allowing just two
goals on the year. The Techsters lead the WAC in several defensive
categories, including goals allowed per game (0.40) and goals
against average (0.38).

Louisiana Tech also leads the WAC in most offensive categories
and have been an aggressive club, taking an average of 19.6 shots
per game. Louisiana Tech also leads their conference in points per
game (7.40) and goals per game (2.60).

LA Tech’s wins have come against South Alabama and Troy
while their only loss came at the hands off in-state foe McNeese
State.

Three players lead the Techsters in goals with two apiece while
sophomore Taylor Dennis is the school’s assists leader with
three. Goalkeeper Caitlin Updyke owns a goals-against average of
0.42 and has 13 saves on the season.

Tech is 0-1 all-time against Louisiana Tech.

SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE

New Mexico State is an even 2-2 and has won two consecutive
games after beginning the 2011 season with consecutive losses.

The Aggies have scored an average of 1.5 goals per game while
allowing 0.75. They have earned victories over Prairie View A&M
and Houston Baptist while suffering losses to UTEP and Texas
Tech.

New Mexico State has scored six goals on the season, all of
which have come from different players. Junior defender Yolanda
McMillion leads the Aggies in assists with two. NMSU goalkeeper
Erin Wosick owns a goals-against average of 0.60 and an .850 saves
percentage.

This will be Tech’s first-ever meeting with New Mexico
State.

“They’re an unknown, but it will be fun to play a
team from a different conference, different part of the country
than what we would normally see,” Brizard said.
“Sometimes the less we know about a team, the better off we
are because we can focus on us.”